A week before its set deadline, Colombia Reports has reached its $200/month increase in voluntary reader subscriptions necessary for the continuation of this website’s reporting.
I am short of words to express a mix of intense gratitude and relief.
Last week I thought we had reached the end of the line because advertising revenue had dropped to a point it was no longer covering our expenses. Little more than a week later, this has been averted. All monthly costs are now covered.
In fact, generous one-time donations allowed us to pay off literally all pending bills at once and additionally allowed us to obtain an SSL certificate, meaning that you browsing our website and has become more secure.
Increased reader participation
To improve the quality of the website and facilitate direct contact between the newsroom and our readership, I created a Facebook group for anyone who spots errors or wants a voice in what effectively has become our editorial board.
Colombia Reports: a readers’ handbook
I explicitly want to invite other journalists working in Colombia to join this board. Nothing forces us to do a better job than critical peer review.
Additionally, all readers are encouraged to contact us with story suggestions, alert us when we oversee something or have any type of question or comment regarding our work. And when I say readers I mean readers, not marketing companies.
Under no circumstance will you ever find an article on Colombia Reports that has been sponsored. Our journalistic integrity is in tact and absolute, thanks to you.
Next step
Colombia Reports depends on your
voluntary support. Read more or
become our friend now.
We will continue our drive until the end of the month as initially intended.
We’re now $5 dollars over our set goal, but plan to invest whatever additional money comes in on improving user experience and the interaction between the newsroom and our community of readers.
Our first priority is to reinstate the comments we were forced to close because of the previous cost reductions. I’m confident you’ll see these reinstated in a matter of days.
Thank you for your support. More than ever before, Colombia Reports is committed to serve the interests of our readers and the general public, both abroad and in Colombia.
